The landscape of the United States passed below me at an even greater velocity than the one I had moved at when I flew across the Pacific Ocean in my dragon form. My vision grew hazy as the world around me streaked past in an unidentifiable blur.

  After what could not have been more than a few seconds of travel, I arrived at my destination. My intangible form passed through the concrete walls of an enormous building without making a sound and shifted back into its corporeal state.

  I stumbled to an abrupt halt and nearly fell down to my knees. A choked gasp tore itself out of my throat.

  Fucking hell. No way am I doing that again….There has to be a better form of teleportation than that.

  I straightened up from my hunched-over position and examined the residence the Fates had chosen for me.

  Just as I was about to nod my head in approval and praise them for their impeccable tastes, I caught sight of the towering windows that served at the walls of the apartment. I stepped toward them and stared unblinkingly at the world outside.

  You have got to be kidding me…

  Unfolding before me, flowed the murky waters of the Hudson River. In the not-so-far distance, the unmistakable skyline of New York City was easily visible. The Empire State Building pierced upward into the storm-covered heavens.

  They placed me right into their backyard. Olympus is practically a stone's throw away.

  I honestly couldn’t even be mad at them for it: They never specified where exactly the mysterious residence that they had prepared for me would be located. It was my fault for simply assuming that it would be some antique Greek villa hidden away on a random mountain.

  Of course the Fates would own prime real estate in the very heart of their territory. And of course they would want to keep someone like me close. I sighed and pivoted away from the window.

  At least the place looks nice enough.

  White marble floors. Gilded chandeliers and furniture that likely cost more than ten generations of a working-class family would earn in their combined lifetimes. It was the very definition of a high-class apartment.

  I chuckled.

  They slap my cheek with one hand…and bribe me with the other.

  In the end, I was a dragon. While I didn’t appreciate the deception, I could not bring myself to be mad when they made me an offering like this.

  I drifted across the spacious living room of my new home. A slow smile stretched on my lips as I trailed the fingers of my right hand over the white couch and the stone table positioned next to it as I passed them. After a few minutes, I circled the area and once again came to a stop in front of the panoramic windows. I cast a glance up at the cloudy sky.

  It will likely take some more time for the Olympians to realize that I am here. If I am not completely mistaken…they currently have bigger things to worry about than some devil hybrid who is still just a small fry in the grand scheme of things.

  I exhaled deeply and rubbed my forehead. It hurt me to admit, but I knew it to be true. Compared to Ddraig in his prime, compared to the Fates…without relying on the Boosted Gear…I was nothing. Not yet.

  My hands clenched at my side, and I fixed the sky with a glare.

  It will not stay that way for long.

  I jerked away from the window and strode back into the well-furnished living space.

  It really was a nice place. Although clearly too big for just one person to live in. The living room alone could house an entire family. I seated myself on one of the expansive couches arrayed around the elegant stone table and fell into deep thought.

  I have to tread carefully for now. The Greek gods... they are capricious. If I want to stay in this realm long term, keeping myself firmly on their good side is absolutely necessary.

  If this indeed was the version of the Olympian pantheon that I was familiar with, convincing them to accept my presence in their domain would not be too difficult.

  They would have to be fools not to see the value in keeping someone like me around. Even if only as a weapon to be used.

  I sank back into the couch and crossed my arms behind the back of my head. My mind raced.

  If I have the timeline right…they are currently facing the threat of a civil war between the top dogs of their society.

  I was uncertain about what exactly the future held. Now that the Fates had "woven me into their web," as they called it, everything I knew about this corner of the world was in flux.

  The Moirai would not have chosen to include me in their schemes if they were already satisfied with their pantheon's destined future. If that had been the case, they would have turned me away at their borders. As I was now, there was nothing I could have done to defy that decision. The webs they had so carefully woven would have remained unchanged.

  By allowing me into their world, they had irrevocably torn apart those same webs.

  Even if I did nothing but waste my time for the next few years. Even if I did only the bare minimum that our contract demanded of me, my mere presence would invite change.

  I had no intention of wasting my time.

  Right when I had settled my legs on the surface of the table in front of me, a shining golden light broke me out of my plotting. The light heralded the arrival of…something.

  I clicked my tongue and forced myself upward. With a few long strides, I crossed the distance to the source of the disturbance.

  The apartment transitioned seamlessly from living room to dining area. It was there where I found a conspicuous letter lying on a long wooden table. A table I approached with a raised brow.

  I opened the letter, and for a brief moment, my gaze lingered on the elaborate calligraphy.

  The letter caught on fire as soon as I had finished reading the last word of the Fates' blunt instructions. It combusted so cleanly that neither smoke nor ash were left behind. I huffed.

  That was way over the top… Do they not want me to keep ahold of this?

  I shook my head and seated myself on one of the numerous leather chairs arrayed around the table. With furrowed brows, I propped my chin on my fist and contemplated what I had just read.

  They certainly do not shy away from taking full advantage of our deal. Ten days?…It is not a huge amount of time, but also not very short.

  I pursed my lips as my eyes narrowed.

  Long Island…I will have to prepare myself well.

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  Another flash of golden light ignited, and a black suitcase appeared on the table before me. The letter had already informed me that stored within would be the advance payment for my service to them.

  I leaned back into the chair and summoned the Boosted Gear.

  "Tell me, Ddraig…what do you think about all of this?"

  The Heavenly Dragon stayed quiet for a few moments before he answered. When he did, his voice was measured.

  "The Fates are…impressive women. It is true that they are weak in a head on battle. Certainly so when compared to other gods. However, within their pantheon, they command power and respect similar to that of a primordial."

  I glanced down at the crimson gauntlet with a raised brow. "While fascinating…that was not what I asked. What do you think about our current circumstances? It was your recommendation that brought us here. Did you forget?“

  A rumbling sigh reverberated out of the emerald jewel. "No. I did not forget… It appears to me that you were outwitted, Partner. In return for them allowing you to remain in their domain, you have entered a contract with them. However…the Moirai do not speak for their king. Our continued stay here is not yet certain.“

  I blinked.

  I almost forgot that Ddraig can't read my mind.

  “Don’t worry about that, Ddraig. I never once assumed that they spoke for the king…I already have some ideas on how I am going to handle the Olympians and their ruler.“

  My chair scraped across the floor as I pushed myself upward and left the dining area behind.

  "To tell you the truth, Ddraig…I think I can guess what the Fates are really after…. Naturally, I cannot be fully certain just yet, but if I am right…we will be even more heavily involved with the affairs of this pantheon than I initially expected.“

  "Getting involved with the divine…it is not a decision to be made lightly. Are you sure you want to go down this path?“

  I hummed as I reached the living room. "For now, yes, I am sure. Of course, at some point I will need to get back to Japan….Have I told you about my plans with the Evil Pieces yet? My best chance to acquire my own set of them awaits me there…. In a small town called Kuoh.“

  Anticipating what Ddraig would ask next, I quickly spoke up again. "Do not ask me how I know…. Perhaps I will tell you someday, but not today.“

  "If that is the case, I will not ask….I support this course of action. Getting the Olympians on your side is worthwhile. They are a powerful faction. Maybe not as mighty as the Hindu, but do not be fooled by their frequent internal disputes….Whenever they are threatened by what they call "Outsiders“, they will come together in solidarity and defend their territories viciously….I speak of this from personal experience.“

  Getting my plans endorsed by the ancient dragon had calmed my nerves more than I would like to admit.

  I was somewhat biased when it came to the Greek side of the world. That bias was the reason why I did not hesitate to travel here when Ddraig brought it up as a possibility. My devil side was utterly fascinated by their rampant debauchery. After all, there were few pantheons that indulged in vices as openly as the Greeks did.

  "What will you do now, Partner? There is still some time left before you need to leave and fulfill your obligations to the Fates.“

  I nodded absentmindedly, my gaze directed towards the bustling city below.

  "You know…I have never been to New York before. It is time I correct that.“

  I dismissed the Boosted Gear and opened the window. With one last look back at my new home, I threw myself out of the building and somersaulted off the towering skyscraper.

  —————

  The raging wind roared past my ears as I approached the ground at terminal velocity. Following my will, my devil wings unfurled and flapped a few times to gain altitude.

  My continuous ascent ceased when I reached a height that allowed me to overlook the entirety of the New York skyline. My arms crossed before my chest as I scanned the city below in search of a suitable venue. Once I had found it, I retracted my extra appendages and dropped down from the sky.

  A loud boom resounded across the street after I landed in the middle of Times Square like a crashing meteor. A dent was left on the concrete floor as I swept my gaze to see if anyone would react to my supernatural entrance. They did not.

  I wonder what the Mist makes them see.

  My gaze scrutinized the gathered crowd. Crimson eyes shifted from face to face until I found what I had been looking for. A small, brown-haired girl.

  She was facing me fully while holding onto the hand of her unsuspecting mother. Her green eyes were wide, and her mouth agape.

  A smirk tugged at my lips as I graced the clear-sighted mortal with a wink.

  Her jaw dropped even further.

  The comical expression drew a chuckle from me as I turned away from her. With a relaxed gait, I intermingled with the oblivious crowd and allowed the ever-busy stream of humanity to wash me away.

  Let’s see…the Fates said no mind magic, right? They never said anything about illusions though...that’s worth thinking on some more.

  A smile stretched on my face as I matched the pace of the people around me.

  I was torn from my thoughts when out of nowhere, something unbelievable appeared in my peripheral vision. My stride halted abruptly as I beheld a baffling sight. I likely looked even more shocked at that moment than the little girl did when she saw me drop down from the sky and land before her like fallen angel.

  Holy shit….Is that a cyclops? In a damn Armani suit? Are you kidding me?

  My eyes bulging as the immaculately dressed cyclops graciously held open the door for a group of similarly dressed men. The only difference between them was that the unsuspecting mortals were significantly shorter and possessed full pairs of eyes.

  Dear Satan's below…They actually have monster working a 9-5 in this country. How is this real life?

  Amusement rushed in waves at the thought of poor young demigods being encouraged to participate in mortal society with slogans like, "If a cyclops can make it, so can you!"

  Is this what they call the American Dream?

  I ejected the surprising scene out of my mind and continued my idle stroll across the famous city.

  Truth be told, if that beast was any other kind of monster, I would have killed it right there without hesitation.

  Killing monsters was what I had come here to do. I did not care at all if they had jobs or a life. If the wretches had the misfortune of crossing my path, they would die. That was all there was to it.

  However… cyclops specifically were a different matter entirely. They occupied a strange place in the supernatural side of the Greek world.

  On one hand, they were very clearly baby-eating monsters. On the other, they were also all children of Poseidon. The most famous time one of those children was hurt, the god of the seas threw a fit so out of proportion, it turned into its own legend.

  I had no interest in pushing my luck here.

  I might be a devil…but I am no Gremory. My luck is finite.

  A snort escaped me. My mood improved immediately as I was once again swept away by the human crowd and continued my plotting.

  I need to seriously think about how I’m going to approach my magical development. Devil magic is awesome, no doubt about it, but it also has its limitations.

  Low-level applications like illusions and simply messing around with mortals were easy, absurdly so. It was harder for a human to steal candy from a child than it was for a devil to twist the will and minds of mortals and force them to do their bidding.

  It is really no wonder that humans are never taken seriously by the supernatural.

  Be that as it may, those were just parlor tricks. What I wanted was power. Real power. And for that, standard devil magic would not be enough.

  Devil magic depends on imagination, sense, and demonic power. It is unreasonable to expect that I will be able to hold a clear image of the spell I want to cast each time while in a high-stakes battle.

  That was why most devils created spell formulas and then transcribed those formulas onto a sealing matrix that they could then summon and cast as often as they desired. Only needing to supply them with sufficient demonic energy to keep going.

  No, while useful, it was not standard devil magic that turned devils into one of the most powerful factions in the world. The greatest advantage we devils possessed was our bloodlines.

  While standard devil magic had its limitations, those limits did not apply when combined with our bloodlines.

  In theory, everything I can imagine a dragon to be capable of, I can turn into a spell and replicate for myself. Maybe I can even improve upon it.

  With enough training and practice, it was entirely possible for me to bring my mastery over dragonification up to a level that would make it so that the very concept of dragon becomes forever synonymous with the name Ladora Buné.

  I grinned as I came to a stop in front of a cozy-looking cafe. With a quick exertion of energy, I applied an invisibility spell to myself and walked through the opened door.

  Paying the mortals around me no mind, I grabbed myself a couple of the delicious-looking pastries and sat down at an empty table.

  After a few minutes spent eating, I exhaled deeply as both my stomach and devil side expressed their satisfaction at my actions.

  My back pushed into the chair as I observed the hapless humans going about their mundane lives.

  I already have some idea what my first bloodline-related spell will look like.

  Its primary purpose would be to help me keep the things that were mine safe and secure. A situation like the one at Wakabe-en would never occur again.

  Nobody will take my possessions away from me again. I will not allow it.

  For the second time today, I summoned the Boosted Gear and addressed the fallen dragon sealed within.

  "Say, Ddraig…you would not mind if I put some stuff inside our shared soul space, would you?"

  The dragon spoke up in a rare, hesitant tone. "Not particularly, no. Why? What do you have planned? It usually takes a while for my hosts to realize that they can store objects inside the Boosted Gear.“

  I smiled. My red eyes gleamed like polished rubies. "Don't you worry about that just yet. You will see for yourself soon.“

  I raised myself from the table and brushed away the remains of the meal. Once I had cleaned up after myself, I walked out of the cafe and went looking for a specific kind of store.

  What I need now is plenty of paper, pens... and a couple of knives.

  A grin stretched my lips. Things were starting to come together in my mind.

  Oh yes… This is going to be good.